


Do You Remember Me?

by ToxicTraitor



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: F/M, Mentions of Cancer, Minor Character Death, More Tags Later?, fem!sora, ygoshipolympics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-04-16 20:00:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4638351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToxicTraitor/pseuds/ToxicTraitor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Kurosaki family have always been blessed with the gift of time travel.  One day while working, Shun Kurosaki meets Sora Shiun'in, a girl that says that she has been visited by him all her life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Bakery Shop

**Author's Note:**

> My entry for the YGO Ship Olympics.  
> Preyshipping Team, 1st Submission. (Prompt: Nostalgia ) + (Challenge: Crossover)
> 
> You can vote here for Round 4:  
> https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1PBk6C_G_QQER7HV2j1V_KmOP1nt8yDe9oUWFkpTN2Vg/viewform
> 
> Please enjoy and please vote for our team.

Shun had only started working in the bakery about a week ago.  He was lucky there was an empty position.  He was glad that he finally had something to occupy his mind and time.  The busier the day, the better it was in his opinion.

            “Shun,” Yuuya smiled.  He was covered up to his elbows in flour, “We’re closing up soon.  Can you give me a ride home?  Yuugo isn’t home today so there’s no one to pick me up,”

            “Sure,” Shun promised, “I have to pick up Serena anyway,”

            “Good,” Yuuya smiled brightly.  He turned back to the kitchen, “I’m going to clean up the back.  I’ll meet you at the back door in about ten minutes,”

            “Alright,”

            Yuuya gave Shun another smile before he disappeared into the back.  He called out that Shun could take something home with him if he was hungry.  Shun didn’t particularly enjoy the taste of sweet pastries so he skipped the offer.

            Shun sighed as he gave the counter a final wipe down.  The air smelled like artificial lemons as he swiped the cloth across the marble.  He gave the clock a quick glance; five minutes until ten.  He would have to lock the doors soon.

            He heard the bell ring, the one above the front door.  He looked up to see a customer.  A girl, maybe in her late teens, had come in.  She looked small, her eyes were wide and her face was round.  Her hair fell in soft, blue waves down her face.  She looked so pretty that she looked almost doll like.

            “Is Yuuya still here?” she asked.  She struggled with her umbrella, trying to keep it shut despite its stubborn protest to stay opened.

            “He’s in the kitchen,” Shun answered, “I can help you with your umbrella, if you want,”

            “Really?” the girl asked as she looked up at him, her eyes widened in disbelief, “Shun?” she asked.

            Shun felt confused.  He couldn’t recognize this girl.  He was sure he would remember someone that pretty but he couldn’t recall her at all.

            “Have we met?” Shun asked, his brain completely muddled.

            “Oh,” the girl smiled sheepishly, “I guess we haven’t met officially yet.  It such a long story,”

            Yet?  What did she mean?  Before he could ask her anymore, Yuuya came bouncing in from the back.

            “Sora,” Yuuya smiled, “Here are my paintbrushes.  I don’t need them for a few weeks so you can keep them for a while,”

            The girl had trouble pulling her eyes away from Shun, “Are you working here?” she asked.

            “Who, Shun?” Yuuya wondered, “He started working here last week.  Why do you want to know?  Did you want to work here?  I can ask my mom if she needs another worker,”

            “No…It’s nothing.  I just haven’t seen him here before,” Sora shook her head, “Um… I’ll return your brushes next week,”

            “Sure.  Maybe we can watch a movie or something too,” Yuuya suggested.

            Sora smiled, agreeing to the plans.  She gave Yuuya a quick wave goodbye before she was out the door.

            “I’m done in the back if you want to lock up,” Yuuya said as he rolled up his apron.

            Shun nodded, still dazed.  He walked with Yuuya out to his car.  Yuuya plopped down into the passenger’s seat and turned up the heater.  He held his hands out to collect the warm air.

            “It’s so cold out,” he mumbled, hugging himself, “That’s good for business.  Isn’t it, Shun?”

            “Yuuya,” Shun began, ignoring Yuuya’s enquiry, “Who was that?  The girl you gave the brushes too,”

            “Sora?  She’s my friend.  We’re in a few classes together,” Yuuya explained, “I haven’t known her for too long.  It’s only been a few months,”

            “She acted like she knew me,”

            “Maybe she knows one of your sisters,” Yuuya suggested, “I think she’s met Yuzu once or twice,”

            Maybe Yuuya was right.  Shun was just being paranoid again, just like always.  If Ruri were here right now, she would scold him for worrying too much.

            Shun winced as he felt a migraine coming on.  That was never good news.  Why did that have to happen _now_?

            “Another headache?  Do you need to stop driving?” Yuuya asked, alarmed, “Maybe you should pull over,”

            Shun shook his head stubbornly, “I’m fine,”

            Yuuya pursed his lips but he didn’t push Shun further.  He kept quiet for the rest of the journey back to his house.  When they got there, Serena was waiting on the porch for Shun to pick her up.  She waved goodbye to Yuuri before she got into the car.

            Shun took a deep breath and prepared for the lecture he would hear from his little sister.  He could never slip anything pass her.  Serena was too observant and he was too predictable.

            “Your pupils are dilated,” she mentioned.  Her voice was thick with disapproval, “You should stop driving before you get into another accident,”

            Shun sighed as he pulled the car over.  He rummaged through the glove department for a painkiller.  He swallowed a pill before he opened the car door to get some fresh air.

            “Be careful out there,” Serena called out.

            The migraine was getting worse.  Shun ground his teeth in pain.  His heart was racing in his chest and his fingertips felt numb.  He closed his eyes, sighing.  He couldn’t fight this thing no matter how hard he tried.

            He hated time travel.  He hated everything about it, right down to its stupid term.  He had no idea why his grandfather called it ‘crossover’.  It was time travel; it had nothing to do with crossing over anything.  The old man must be going senile.

            This was absurd.  He had already time travelled this morning.  Why was he doing it again?  He needed to get control over this thing.

            When he opened his eyes, he had no idea where or when he was.  It was morning wherever he had ended up and he was in some sort of playground.  There were children running and playing around him.  Their loud voices and laughter filled the air.

            “Shun,” a small voice chimed from behind him.

            Shun turned around.  He wasn’t sure what he was expecting.  He thought maybe the voice belonged to a younger version of one of his sisters.  Instead he was met with wide, green eyes.

            “Shun,” the girl pouted, “Don’t you recognize me?”

            Sora?  No, that was too ludicrous.  There was no way the girl he had met in bakery less than an hour ago could be the same girl in front of him now.

            “How old are you?” the girl asked.

            “Twenty-two,” Shun answered.

            The girl sighed, “You’re too young.  No wonder you don’t remember me,”

            “Have we met before?”

            The girl nodded, “We’ve met so many times already.  You always come and visit me.  Usually you’re older, though,”

            “How old are you right now?”

            “Eight,” the girl smiled, “My name is Sora,”

            She really was the same girl.  Shun wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel.  Sora had known him for most of her life but he had only officially met just less than an hour ago.  No wonder she said it was such a long story.

            He should track her down when he got back home.

            “Shun,” Sora called, annoyed that she was being ignored, “Come here,”

            She took his hand in her little one.  She led him over to a swing set.

            “Will you push me?  I have no one else to play with,” she asked, her eyes big and pleading.

            Should he?  He wasn’t sure whether this was a good idea.  Still, Sora was so hard to ignore.  She looked so lonely and Shun had always had a soft spot for children.  He would want to have his own if his genes didn’t carry that horrible time travel curse.

            “I’ll push you but only if you tell me a few things,” Shun bargained.

            Sora’s face lit up, “Okay,”

            Sora sat on the swing, kicking her feet back and forth until Shun began to push her.  She laughed joyfully as she flew higher and higher.  Shun couldn’t help but smile, her laughter was contagious.

            “How old were you when we first met?” Shun asked as he gave her another push.

            “I was four and you were thirty-two,” Sora answered, “We had a tea party in my backyard,”

            “Does your mother know about me?”

            “No,” Sora answered, “You said it would be better if I didn’t tell her,”

            He did?  What was going on in his mind at thirty-two? 

            “What do we usually do when I visit you?” Shun asked as he pushed the swing higher.

            “You play with me.  You’re a lot of fun too.  You always play whatever game I want to play and you’re nicer than all of the boys in my school,”

            “Is that all we do?”

            “No.  Sometimes we talk,”

            “What do we talk about?”

            “About me or about you.  Sometimes you talk about the future.  Do we really get married in the future or were you teasing me?”

            Married?  No, no.  Sora must be wrong.  There was no way he would marry this girl.  That was ridiculous.  She must have misunderstood whatever he had said to her.

            “Shun,” Sora called when Shun had stopped pushing her, “What are you doing?  Push me higher,”

            Shun gave her another push, “Married?  Are you sure?”

            “That’s what you told me,” Sora smiled, “You told me that we were married and I told you that you were being silly.  You rolled your eyes just like you’re doing now,”

            “I’m not rolling my eyes,” Shun muttered defensively.

            “Yes, you are!” Sora teased.

            Shun gave her another push, sending her higher.

            “Shun,” Sora asked, her voice quieter now, “Have you met me yet in the future?”

            Shun was quiet for a moment, “I have but we haven’t spoken much,”

            “Am I… Am I pretty in the future?” Sora asked; her voice concerned.

            Shun stopped the swing, pulling Sora to a gentle stop.  She looked up at him with worried eyes.

            “What’s wrong?  Don’t you think you’re pretty?” Shun asked softly. 

            Sora shook her head and sniffed, “The girls in school say I’m not pretty,”

            “I think you’re pretty.  Besides, who cares if the girls in school say those things?”

            “You really think I’m pretty?” Sora asked, still doubtful.  Her eyes look wet as if she were about to cry.

            “I think you’re very pretty,”

            Sora’s face lit up, “Thank you, Shun.  You always know what to say to make me feel better,”

            Shun felt so grateful for growing up with so many sisters.  He had a lot of practise with young girl’s feelings.  Rin had asked him the same question when she was eight.  Now he could make Sora feel better, too.

            Shun could feel the numbness in his fingers returning.  Sora looked up at him.

            “You’re leaving,” she sighed, “I’m going to miss you,”

            “I’ll see you again,” Shun promised, “Hopefully soon,”

            Sora smiled, “Bye Shun.  Have fun with future me,”


	2. The Diary

When Shun opened his eyes, he was back on the sidewalk only a few feet from where he had parked his car.  Serena was waiting inside for him when he returned.

            “You shouldn’t be driving when you know you’re going to time travel, Shun.  It’s dangerous,” Serena began before he even had time to sit down, “You should talk to Grandfather about time travelling,” she continued with her arms crossed over her chest.

            “He and I don’t get along.  Why would I subject myself to spending any time with him?” Shun asked as he pulled back onto the road.

            “You can’t control yourself, Shun.  You should talk to him about it before it’s too late.  He’s getting older and his health is deteriorating,”

            “I can control myself,” Shun said stubbornly.

            “ _This_ ,” Serena said as she shook the bottle of aspirin in her hand, “Is not control.  At least go with us tomorrow and see him,”

            Shun shook his head.

            “You’re so stubborn,”

            “So are you,”

            Serena rolled her eyes.  She refused to speak to him for the rest of the car ride.

            “Fine,” Shun said, exasperated.  He threw his hands up in the air, “I’ll go see him tomorrow.  Are you happy now?”

            “Yes,” Serena cracked a small smile.

***

 

            Shun could never understand why his sisters loved their grandfather.  He couldn’t stand the old man.  He didn’t know why anyone bothered to visit him.

            “Shun,” his grandfather greeted him.  Shun could hear a bitter undertone in his voice.

            “I need to talk to you,” Shun muttered as he sat down across from his grandfather’s chair.

            “You finally swallowed that pride of yours, boy?  What do you want?” his grandfather mocked.

            “You know what?  I change my mind,” Shun said as he got up to leave, “I won’t sit here while you insult me,”

            “Your sisters told me that you can’t control your time travel.  You’re too stubborn to listen and learn,”

            “I can control my time travel,” Shun insisted, stubborn as always.

            “Those pills you take aren’t control,” the old man argued.

            “How would you know?  They work just fine,”

            “They don’t work, Shun.  I know better than anyone.  You see this?” the old man held out the cigarette he was smoking, “This was my control.  It’s gotten me nothing but trouble.  You’re going to make yourself sick on those pills.  Your sisters are all worried about you.  Your mother is losing her mind over you,”

            “I’m perfectly fine,” Shun said, holding his head high, “I don’t need your advice.  You were never there for me when I needed you.  I wondered why I ever thought that you could help me now,”

            His grandfather was quiet for a moment, “My cancer is in stage four now, Shun.  I won’t live much longer.  I can’t teach you what I know, anymore,”

            Shun was quiet for a moment.  He didn’t get along with the old man but he didn’t want him to die. 

            “I met a girl,” Shun sighed and confessed, “I met her last night at work.  After that I time travelled to the past and I met her eight year old self.  She told me that I visit her often when I time travel.  She’s known me for most of her life.  She told me that I told her we would get married,”

            The old man laughed, “It’s about time you met someone.  What is there to worry about?  You met a girl that you’re going to marry.  Shouldn’t you be happy?”

            “Isn’t it weird?” Shun wondered, “She’s known me for years but I only met her last night,”

            “She’s known you for that long and she’s still willing to marry you.  You shouldn’t question miracles, kid.  Be happy someone either than your sisters can stand being around you for more than an hour,” the old man laughed, his voice croaking as he started to cough.

            Shun sighed, ignoring the insult, “I don’t know what to do.  I never planned on meeting anyone.  What if she gets pregnant?”

            “Then you become a father.  Big deal,” his grandfather coughed again as he took another drag from his cigarette, “Your mother said you love kids,”

            “I don’t want to have a son like me,” Shun muttered, “I won’t curse my child to a life of time travel,”

            “Ha,” the older man laughed, “You have so much to learn, kid,”

           

***

 

Shun had another headache today.  He decided it was from the lack of sleep combined with the stress of meeting his grandfather.  He swallowed another pill to kill the pain that was throbbing away in his head like a hammer against a nail.

            He heard the bell over the bakery door chime again.  He looked up to see the girl from yesterday standing in the doorway.  She had her eyes focused on his face.  Her eyes were curious as she gazed up at him.  She stood awkwardly as she tried to think about what to say.

            “Can I talk to you?” she asked, “If you aren’t busy,”

            “I can take a break,” Shun said.  It was about time for his break anyway.  Plus he wanted to give the painkiller time to work its way into his system.

            Sora bit her lip nervously, “You really don’t recognize me at all, Shun?  Not even a little?”

            “I do, a little,” Shun confessed, “You know me better than I know you,”

            “Do you want me to explain everything?”

            “That would be nice,”

            Shun led her to one of the quieter corners of the bakery.  They sat at a small table for two.  He served coffee for both of them.  He stirred his while he watched Sora fill hers with plenty of sugar and cream.

            “Where do you want me to begin?” Sora asked.

            “Where do you want to start?”

            Sora pursed her lips thoughtfully.  Shun couldn’t help but think that she looked cute when she was deep in thought.  She twisted a strand of hair in her fingers as she spoke.

            “We met when I was really little,” Sora smiled fondly at the memories.  Her voice was filled with nostalgia, “You’re usually older than you are now.  You were my best friend growing up, even if you did come and go.  I always wished I could make you stay with me,”

            Shun took a sip of his coffee as he listened.  He watched Sora carefully, measuring her expression.  Her eyes were bright and her smile looked gentle.  Her lips looked even softer and he couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like if his touched them with his fingertips.

            “I’ve had a crush on you for years,” Sora laughed anxiously before she sighed deeply, “That sounds silly, doesn’t it?  I’m in love with a man that doesn’t even know me but I know everything about him,”

            “What do you know about me?”

            “I know so much about you.  You’ve told me everything about you.  I know what makes you sad and what makes you happy,”

            Shun shook his head.  This was all too much at once.  He didn’t know this girl at all.  The pounding in his head was taking a turn for the worst and it was getting harder to pay attention.

            “It’s like you have amnesia.  You can’t remember me but I can remember you,” Sora sighed sadly.

            “I don’t know what to say.  You have to understand that this is difficult for me,” Shun mumbled through the ache in his head.

            “I know it’s hard for you.  That’s why I brought you this,” Sora said as she handed him a small diary.

            The diary looked well taken care of.  The cover had a picture of a happy family of bunnies all dressed in ribbons and lace.  It looked like something a child would have owned.

            “What is it?” Shun asked, turning the diary around in his hands.

            “It’s my diary.  I’ve written about almost every single time you’ve visited me.  I was hoping that it would help,”

            Shun opened the diary, flipping through the pages.  There were so many entries written throughout the pages.  He had visited her so many times.

            “You visited me last night, too,” Sora said.

            “Did I?”

            “I wrote that down in the diary too.  You can keep it for as long as you want,”

            Sora stood from the table, collecting her book bag from under the table.  She stood there for a moment as she debated whether or not she should kiss Shun.  She decided against it.  She was a stranger to him.

            “Can I call you later?” Shun asked, looking up at Sora.

            “My number is in the diary.  You can call me whenever you want,”

 

***

 

When Shun got home, the first thing he did was collapsed into bed.  He stared at Sora’s diary in his hands.  He debated whether or not he should read it. 

            He sighed to himself as he flipped it opened.  He read the entries.  The earlier ones were written in childish handwriting.  The later ones were written in with much cleaner and smoother letters.

            Shun read every entry.  He read about the things he had told Sora and the things she had shared with him.  He was her first kiss, apparently.  She kissed him when she was sixteen and he had refused her.  Her words sounded sad as she recalled the event.

            Shun found the latest entry, the one from last night, towards the end of the diary.  He had visited her last night not too long after she had just gotten home from the bakery.  She wrote about how tired he looked and when she asked why he was so exhausted he had refused to tell her.

            The last page in the diary contained Sora’s phone number.  Shun considered calling her now but it was almost four in the morning.  She would be asleep.

            He rolled over in bed.  Even if he did call her, he had no idea what to say.  He was never good with people.  He always did or said the wrong thing.

            He tried to write it out.  He wrote a few sentences before he erased them and started over.  He tried another time and then another.  After a while, the words stopped making any sense at all and he ended up just tossing the paper into a bin in frustration.

            He hadn’t slept at all and there was no point in trying to go to sleep now.  He ended up at the kitchen table with a coffee in his hands.  He heard a door in the hall open behind him.

            “Shun?” Rin yawned, “Why are you awake?  It’s so early,”

            “I couldn’t sleep,” Shun muttered through the headache that still hadn’t cleared up.

            “Why not?  Is something wrong?” Rin asked as she sat down at the table.

            Shun shook his head.

            “You can talk to me,” Rin reassured, “Tell me what’s wrong,”

            “I’m just… I don’t know,” Shun paused to think, “It’s a long story,”

            “I don’t mind,” Rin said.  She poured herself some coffee, “Tell me what happened,”

            Shun didn’t know where to begin.  He started with that night at the bakery when he met Sora for the first time.  He explained the entire story as well as he could but he could see Rin’s brow furrowing in confusion.

            “I want to talk to her again but I don’t know what to say,” Shun confessed, “What should I say?  Where do I begin?  How do I talk to her?”

            “Why don’t you ask her to meet you today?  You’re not working; you could take her out on a date,”

            “It’s too early for a date,” Shun mumbled.  He was too nervous for that sort of thing.

            “Ask her to come here, then,” Rin suggested, “Just try to talk to her.  You want to get to know her, right?  Just talk to her like you would talk to anyone else,”

            Shun stared into his coffee mug.  The whole idea had him more nervous than he would even dare to admit.  What if Sora didn’t like _this_ him?  What if he wasn’t the same Shun she fell in love with?  What if… what if he didn’t like her or if it didn’t work out?

            “Shun Kurosaki,” Rin teased, “Don’t tell me that my big, intimidating older brother is too scared to talk to a pretty girl,”

            “I’m not scared,” Shun muttered defensively.

            “You nearly beat up that one kid from school because he looked at Yuzu funny.  I think you can handle talking to a girl that’s already in love with you,”

            Rin smiled and stood from the table.  She ducked down and gave Shun a quick kiss on the head.

            “You’ll be fine, big brother,” she said reassuringly, “Don’t worry about it,”

            Shun watched Rin walk back down the hall into her room.  He sighed to himself as he turned his attention to his phone.  It shouldn’t be that hard to invite her over.  All he had to do was call her.  That wasn’t too hard.

            He waited a few hours until the sun was up higher in the sky.  She should be awake by now.

            He dialled the number and held his breath as he waited for her to answer.

            “Hello?” Sora answered.  How had her voice already become so familiar?

            “This is Shun,” Shun cringed to himself.  Why did he sound so awkward? “I read your diary,”

            “You did?  What did you think?” she asked; her voice not hiding any of her curiosity.

            “It was interesting to read.  I’d like to know more, actually.  Do you want to come over and discuss it?”

            “Sure,” Sora said delightedly, “Why don’t you pick me up?  I can meet you at the bakery,”

            “That sounds fine,”

            “Good.  I’ll meet you there in half an hour,”

            “I’ll see you then,” Shun said before he hung up.

            He sighed with relief once it was over.  That wasn’t as difficult as he thought it would be.  He laughed to himself.  Was this what it was like to have a crush? 

            He began to get dressed.  He stared at himself in the mirror.  He wasn’t sure whether he looked alright.  He considered changing into something else.  He scolded himself for acting like a high school teenager.  Why did it matter what he wore?  It’s not like Sora would care or even notice.

            Still… He wanted to look nice.  He _wanted_ Sora’s attention.  That wasn’t so wrong, was it?

            He asked Yuzu once before he left if he looked presentable.  She narrowed her eyes suspiciously before she asked him to straighten out his shirt and to wear his nice shoes.  Shun heard her call out as he left out the door - _have a nice date_! - she said.

            He could never get anything past his sisters.  If one knew something, then all four of them would know soon enough.  At least they were supportive of him.


	3. First Kiss

He waited at the bakery as he had promised.  The more time that passed, the more nervous he became.  Eventually Yuuya ended up coming over in an attempt to try and cheer him up.  He served Shun a slice of cake on the house but Shun had no appetite to eat it.

            His torture finally ended when Sora came in.  She looked so pretty that for a moment Shun forgot to breathe.  She smiled so sweetly that it made Shun’s heart do weird and foreign things in his chest.

            “Shun,” she breathed, “Should we go to your place now?”

            “Is it alright if we just stay here?  All my sisters are at home,” Shun cringed internally at the idea of his sisters meeting Sora.  His nerves were frayed enough for one day; he didn’t need more to worry about.

            “Sure,” Sora smiled as she sat down at the table, “What did you want to talk about?  My diary?”

            Shun shook his head, “Let’s play a game.  Let’s pretend that we’ve never met before the other night in this bakery.  Let’s just pretend that we don’t know each other,”

            “Pretend we don’t know each other?” Sora asked.  Shun could detect a hint of worry in her tone.

            “Let’s pretend that this is just a normal date between two normal people.  Let’s take it slow and get to know each other,” Shun suggested.

            “A date?” Sora teased, “If you told me this would be a date I would have worn something a lot cuter,”

            A date?  Shun hadn’t realized that he had let those words slip.  He stared into the floor hoping that he could hide the blush that was beginning to warm his cheeks.

            “So you’re in the same course as Yuuya?” Shun asked.

            “No.  Yuuya is in Theatrical Arts.  I’m in Illustrative Arts.  We share a few classes but that’s about it.  I’ve only known him for a few months but he’s one of the nicest friends I’ve ever had.  How did you meet Yuuya?”

            “He’s my best friend’s younger brother.  My sister started dating him a few years ago.  I’ve known him since we were children,”

            “Isn’t your sister’s name Yuzu?  I’ve met her but her last name is different from yours,”

            “She’s my half-sister.  My father passed away after I was born.  My mother met another man and they had my sisters.  He’s my stepfather now.  What about your family?  What are they like?”

            “My parents got divorced when I was little.  My dad left so I grew up with my mother.  She passed away last year,” Sora said; her voice small.  Shun could hear her voice straining from being on the verge of tears.

            “I’m sorry,” Shun apologized quickly, “I shouldn’t have asked,”

            “That’s okay,” Sora tried to smile.

            “Here,” Shun pushed the cake closer to Sora, “You can have some of my cake,”

            “Really?” Sora asked, her voice brightening up a bit, “You promised me once that you would always share your cake with me.  You weren’t supposed to know about that yet,”

            He did?  Why would he have promised her something if there was a possibility he couldn’t keep it? 

            He watched Sora as she happily bit into a mouthful of chocolate cake.  She smiled to herself, enjoying the rich flavors.  The recipe was one of Yoko’s.  Even Shun could enjoy the cake despite his lack of a sweet tooth.

            “Do you like the cake?” Shun asked.

            Sora nodded.

            “It’s even better when it’s freshly baked,” Shun said.  He’s had the chance to taste it when it was still warm from the oven.  Yoko really did have some wonderful recipes under her belt.

            “Maybe you can let me taste it one day,” Sora suggested with a sly smile on her face, “Unless the recipe is top secret,”

            Shun couldn’t help but return the smile, “Maybe one day I’ll bake you one,”

            They talked for a few more hours.  The time flew by and before they both knew it, it was getting dark outside.  It was so easy to get lost into conversation with Sora.  She had so many interesting things to say and Shun was so eager to listen to her every word.

            Sora stood and stretched, “It’s getting late.  I should head back home,”

            Shun stood from his own seat, “Do you want a ride home?”

            Sora shook her head, “I only live a few blocks away,”

            “Let me walk you then,” Shun suggested.  He wasn’t quite ready to let her go.  He wanted to be close to her longer.

            Sora smiled, “Kurosaki, you’ve always taken good care of me,”

            She let Shun walk her home.  She was much shorter than he was but somehow she still managed to link her arm through his.  She felt so warm next to him.  Shun’s arm tingled wherever their skin touched. 

            When he left her at her doorstep she pulled him down for a much awaited kiss.  His head spun when he felt her fingers tangle into his hair.  To be honest, he wanted far more than just a simple kiss.  He wanted to hold her hand and to press his body against hers until he had her breathless.

            She let go too soon.  She had another sly smile on her face and Shun began to wonder if she was as innocent and sweet as she led on. 

            “Goodnight, Shun,” she breathed.

            “Goodnight,” Shun could barely manage to respond.  His head was so filled with Sora that he couldn’t think straight at all.

            Shun went home and went straight to bed.  He laid there and thought about Sora and that kiss at her front door.  He thought about her arm around his and the way it felt when her skin brushed his. 

            He thought about all the words they had shared.  He had learned so much about her that he could no longer count her as a stranger.  Still, he hadn’t known her long enough to call her anything more than an acquaintance.

            His mind wandered back to thoughts of her lips.  The way her lips moved when she sighed his name could make him melt.  He remembered watching them as she spoke.  He remembered wanting so badly to kiss them to see if they were as soft as they looked.

            It wasn’t his first kiss.  He could hazily remember kissing his friend, Reiji, once when they were both too drunk.  Neither of them had enjoyed it and they haven’t spoken about it since.

            Sora’s kiss was so much better than the one he had shared with Reiji.  She knew exactly what she was doing.  At least, she seemed like she did.  Maybe it was his lack of experience that made the kiss so sweet.  Either way, he wanted more of her kisses.


	4. Memories

Sora could still remember the very first time she had met Shun.  She was only four at the time but the memory was still crystal clear.

            She had been playing in her backyard alone.  This had been around the time her parents had gotten divorced.  They fought so much that she began to spend her time outside to escape the yelling and crying.

            She remembered feeling so lonely.  She had no one to play with and no one to talk to.  It was just her, alone in the backyard with only her stuffed animals and porcelain teacups to keep her company.

            That’s when Shun came to her.  She remembered that she didn’t feel scared at all.  Despite how intimidating Shun looked with his piercing golden eyes and frown lines, to Sora he looked soft and cuddly like a brand new teddy bear.

            “Hello,” he had smiled down at her, “Can I play with you?”

            Sora nodded.  She felt so happy that she finally had someone to play with.

            “You remind me a lot of someone,” Shun had smiled as he sat down across from her.  He picked up one of her small teacups and poured himself some ‘tea’, “She looks so much like you and I love her more than anything in this entire world,”

            “Does she have a name?” Sora asked, her small, chirping voice filling the air.

            “She does but I can’t tell you her name yet,”

            “Why not?” Sora asked.

            “It’s a secret,” Shun explained, “I can only tell you when you’re older,”

            Sora pouted, “That’s not fair,”

            Shun smiled softly and patted her on the head, ruffling her hair, “If I tell you my name, will that make you happy?”

            Sora nodded, her pigtails bouncing up and down.

            “My name is Shun.  I come from the future.  I’ll be visiting you a lot,”

            “You will?” Sora asked, delighted.  Her entire face lit up like fireworks in the night sky, “Does that mean you’ll be my friend?”

            “I’ll be your _best_ friend,” Shun promised, “That way you won’t have to be lonely anymore,”

            “How old are you?” Sora asked.

          “I’m thirty-two,” Shun said softly, “Please don’t tell your mother about me.  I might get in trouble if you do,”

            “I won’t tell,” Sora had promised.

            She kept her promise.  She never told anyone about the strange time-traveler she met in her backyard. 

She liked having her own little secret.  She was tired of everyone keeping secrets from her but now she finally had one all of her own.  A very special secret that took the form of a prince from the future that had come here specially to keep her happy.

            Shun kept his promise.  He visited her often.  She noticed he usually came to her on the days when she really needed him the most. 

            Shun became less like a prince as the years passed.  As Sora grew up, she felt less and less like the princesses she read about in all her childhood storybooks.  Now all she cared about or wanted was just someone she could talk to when she felt sad and lonely.  That someone just happened to be Shun.

            He was there for her more than anyone else ever was.  She never had luck with making friends and she had no siblings.  Her father didn’t want her and he never bothered to contact her since the day he left.  Even her mother couldn’t be there for her.  Her mother provided a home, food and clothes but she couldn’t provide the love Sora desperately wanted.

            Some days she wondered what would have happened to her if she had never met Shun.  She didn’t think she would be able to smile as much as she did or laugh as much as she loved to. 

            As she grew older she began to notice things about him that she hadn’t before.

Had he always looked like that?  Sora couldn’t remember.  All of a sudden the gold in his eyes looked so warm and inviting that it was hard for her to look away.  If that weren’t enough, his lips looked so soft.  It got to a point that she began to dream of his arms around her and his hips against hers.

            He had let it slip up once that he would marry her later in the future.  She had never really given it much thought but when she looked at him she couldn’t help but want it to be true.

            She felt insanely guilty for feeling that way about him.  She had only been fifteen when she began to develop different feelings about him.  He was always so much older.  She knew she shouldn’t love him the way that she did.

            That didn’t stop her, though.  She tried to kiss him when she was seventeen.  He didn’t kiss her back or touch her.  All he did was push her away gently.  She remembered feeling shame burn in her cheeks and tears falling down her cheeks.

            “You’re too young,” Shun insisted when he saw the tears.

            “You’re going to marry me, anyway.  What’s the difference?” Sora muttered through the tears.

            “You’re still just a child,” Shun explained, “When you’re older, I promise you’ll finally get to kiss me,”

            Sora waited another year until she was eighteen.  He couldn’t use that same old excuse.  She was an adult now.  He couldn’t refuse her anymore.

            Even though she pleaded with him for a good ten minutes, he still refused to touch her.

            “Don’t you want me, too?” Sora asked, frustrated from Shun’s rejection, “Don’t you love me?”

            “I do love you, Sora.  That’s why I won’t ruin it for you.  Be patient.  I promise if you wait that you won’t regret it,”

            “What if I do regret it?” Sora insisted.  Maybe she picked up her stubbornness from all those years around Shun.

            Shun sighed and rolled his eyes, “I’ve lived through it, Sora.  Trust me.  I know what will happen and you’ll be so much happier if you just wait a few years,”

            “I could be happy now if you would stop being so stubborn,” Sora argued.  She still wasn’t ready to let her chance go.

            Shun looked her in the eyes.  The gold in his was burning in a way that made Sora know that she had lost the fight, “Wait a few more years, Sora,”

 

            At the time, she was angry at him.  It wasn’t fair.  He would always come and go.  She wanted him to stay here with her instead of disappearing all the time.  She wanted to be able to love him completely but she couldn’t do that when he was hardly ever here anymore.

            After she turned twenty she began to get concerned about him.  Some days he looked so tired.  She worried about him.  Whenever she asked if he was alright he would brush it off as nothing.  If it was nothing then how did that explain the dark circles under his eyes?

            She wondered if she was losing him.  She was scared that she would lose him before she even had him.  She was so scared that he would stop visiting her.  He had promised that she would never be alone again.  He couldn’t just leave her.

            When she met him officially for the first time at the bakery, her heart sang in her chest.  It was really him.  He was really here.  For once, he wouldn’t disappear when she closed her eyes.

            She didn’t know what to say.  Shun just stared at her like she was a complete stranger.  It hurt.  She loved him but he didn’t even know her.  She was just a stranger to him.

            She didn’t get a chance to explain it all to him.  She had just left like an idiot.  She should have at least given him her phone number.  Oh well, she could always ask Yuuya for his number.

            When she got home, Shun was waiting for her outside her door.

            “How old are you?” she asked.  This was their usual greeting.  She would ask him for his age so she could record it in her diary.

            “Twenty-eight,” Shun sighed, tiredly.

            “You look tired,” Sora said worriedly, “Are you feeling okay?”

            Shun nodded, “I just haven’t slept well,”

            Sora narrowed her eyes.  She didn’t believe him, “Why not?”

            “I can’t tell you much,” Shun sighed, “It’s a secret.  If you’re really curious, I’ll give you a hint.  A little sparrow keeps me awake at night,”

            Sora rolled her eyes.  She had picked up the bad habit from Shun.  Whenever she rolled her eyes, Shun would laugh but this time he didn’t.

            “I met you in the bakery just now,” Sora said as she unlocked her door.

            “I remember that,” Shun smiled softly at the memory.  His gold eyes twinkled with nostalgia in the low light.

            “What should I say to you?” Sora asked, “I have no idea what to say,”

            “Just say whatever feels right.  You two will get it right,”

            Sora sighed to herself.  Of all people in the world, she had to fall in love with a time traveler.  What a mess she had gotten herself in.  At least he wasn’t a poet, she supposed.

            Sora went to the bakery the next day to meet him.  She gave him the diary that she had recorded their every meeting in.  He called her the next day and they spent the whole afternoon talking.

            She kissed him at her doorstep.  She had waited so long to kiss him and she didn’t want to wait any longer.  She felt so relieved when he kissed her back instead of pushing her away.

            She lay in bed afterwards thinking about him.  He wasn’t that different.  Maybe he was a little more stubborn then she was used too but she was as stubborn as he was. 

            He looked so young.  His face still had a soft, roundness to it.  He was incredibly cute.  Even his voice sounded a little less raspy than his future counterpart’s voice. 

            She laughed to herself.  She felt so happy.  They had finally met.  She had waited years and years to finally meet her time traveler.


	5. Sign

Shun had arranged another date between him and Sora.  He wanted to get to know her better.  He wanted to stay awake all night with her just to talk.

            So that’s what they did.  They spent the next few weeks with each other.  They spoke about everything under the sun.  Sometimes, Sora would kiss him again and he would become that same mess in her hands again.

            Shun had never felt happier.  Sora had brought a light into his life that he didn’t even know was missing.  He… he loved her.  He loved Sora in a way that he had never even dreamed of loving anyone.

            “Do you want to meet my family?” Shun asked one night when they had gone out for a walk together.

            Sora almost started to bounce with joy, “Really?  I’ve been waiting to meet them for so long.  You always talk about them,”

            “Is tomorrow good?”

            “Tomorrow is great,”

 

            Sora got along with his family better than Shun could ever hope for.  All of his sisters fell in love with Sora instantly.  His mother and step-father adored Sora.  Even his grouchy grandfather loved Sora.

            “Your family is so nice,” Sora said as Shun drove her back to his home.

            “You’ve already met Yuzu,” Shun reminded.

            “Only briefly,” Sora smiled, “Your grandfather is wonderful,”

            “Really?” Shun asked, shocked, “You like him?  I can’t even say two words to that man without it blowing up into a feud,”

            Sora laughed, “That’s a funny joke, Shun,” when Shun didn’t chuckle she looked up at him, confused, “You’re not serious are you?  You and your grandfather are so much alike,”

            “No we’re not,” Shun muttered stubbornly.

            Sora sighed and shook her head, “If you didn’t look so cute when you’re being so stubborn…”

            This would be the first time Sora had gone to his apartment.  Shun’s sisters stayed with him often but during their semester break from collage they went to stay with their parents.  He and Sora had the apartment all to themselves.

            “Your apartment is cute,” Sora complimented as she took her coat off in the entryway, “It looks so homey,”

            “My sisters are the ones that decorate everything,” Shun confessed.  He had no patience with that sort of thing.  If it were up to him, the apartment would be almost completely barren.

            Shun showed Sora around his home.  She smiled when she saw the old photographs that hung on his bedroom walls.

            “You were so cute when you were little,” Sora gushed, “Too bad you never visited me when you were younger.  That would have been really amazing,”

            “I didn’t even start time travelling until I turned thirteen,”

            “Really?” Sora asked, “What was it like?”

            Shun grimaced at the memory.  It was horrifying at the time.  He had no idea what was happening because no one had bothered to tell him about their family’s little time travel secret. 

            “Was it that bad?” Sora asked when she saw Shun’s frown, “Never mind, you don’t have to tell me,”

            “It wasn’t _that_ bad,” Shun sighed.

            Sora turned her attention back to the pictures on the wall.  She pointed at one of the pictures.  It was one of a pretty woman sitting in a garden surrounded by small birds.

            “Who is this?” she asked.

            “That’s my grandmother,” Shun smiled fondly.  He loved his grandmother.  She had been like his second mother before she had passed away.

            “She looks a lot like you,” Sora murmured.  Shun looked more like the woman in the photo then he did his own mother.

            “My mother used to say that I looked more like my grandparents than I did her and my father,” Shun chuckled.

            “Is this your father?” Sora asked as she pointed to a man cradling a baby in his arms.

            “That picture was taken a few weeks before the accident,” Shun said.

            “Do you ever miss him?”

            It was hard to miss someone you never really knew.  Shun’s father had passed away when he was only a couple months old.  He shouldn’t miss him but he did.

            “I visited once in the past.  I was sixteen then.  I wanted to… I thought that maybe I could save him.  I thought if I told him not to go out that night then maybe he would still be here,” Shun suddenly confessed.  He had never told anyone this.  It had been a weight on his shoulders for years.

            “Did you tell him?” Sora asked, her curiosity peaking.

            “I couldn’t do it.  I realized that if I told him about the accident and if he lived then… then my sisters would have never been born,”

            Sora was stunned to silence.  She hadn’t realized how hard it must be for Shun to have to carry so many burdens around.  He could fix everything if he wanted to but at what cost?  Maybe that’s why he had kept so many secrets from her whenever he visited from the future, he didn’t want to lose whatever he had.

            It was silent for a while.  Neither of them knew what to say.  The light-hearted atmosphere had vanished. 

            Thankfully the silence was broken by the sound of singing birds.  Shun looked confused at the sound.

            “Is that… Singing?” he wondered aloud.  He turned and walked down the hall to the birdcage he kept hidden under an old blanket.

            “You have parakeets?” Sora wondered, “You really do love birds,”

           “They haven’t sung in years,” Shun mumbled, “Not since my grandmother passed away.  They were her birds.  She left them to me but they never sing for me like they would sing for her,”

            Sora smiled as she watched a pretty, blue parakeet preen itself.  It chirped and chattered to its little friend, “Maybe it’s a sign,” Sora smiled.

           

           

            Sora was too adorable.  Shun couldn’t help but laugh as he watched her fumble over the baking instructions.  It had been over a week since they had visited Shun’s family and now Shun was trying to teach Sora how to bake the chocolate cake they had shared in the bakery on their first date.

            “Do you need help?” Shun asked.  His tone was teasing.

            “No,” Sora muttered defensively.

            “Are you sure?  You’re covered in flour,” Shun chuckled.

            Sora wavered but finally allowed Shun to help her.  He placed his hands over hers to help her measure out the flour and sugar.  He smirked to himself when he saw how pink Sora looked underneath the flour covering her cheeks.

            Sora examined the mess she had become after they had put the cake in the oven to bake.

            “I’m such a mess,” she complained as she brushed flour off her clothes.

            Shun ran his thumb over her cheek to wipe away the flour on it.  He could feel Sora’s cheeks heating up underneath his hand.  How could one human being be so frustratingly cute?

            He was just about to kiss Sora when the bell on the timer rang.  Shun silently cursed the bell for ruining the moment.  He was trying to be romantic here.  Why couldn’t the oven take pity on him?

            The look on Sora’s face as she bit into the freshly baked cake was worth it.  She looked so happy.

            “You were right,” she mumbled with her mouth still full, “It is better when it’s warm,”

            “I love you, Sora,” Shun blurted out by accident.  He silently scorned himself for doing something so embarrassing.

            Sora’s eyes widened, “What?” she mumbled with her mouth still full.

            “I love you,” Shun repeated.  He could feel his face burning even hotter than Sora’s had.

            Sora’s eyes lit up brighter than ever, “I love you too, Shun.  I love you so much,”

            Shun kissed her then.  She tasted like the chocolate cake they had just made.  Shun kissed her until they were both so breathless that their heads spun.

            Somehow they ended up in Sora’s bed.  Somehow they ended up undressed.  Somehow, they managed to make love just the way Sora had been wanting to for years.

            She couldn’t stop herself from laughing when it was all over.  Shun was right.  If she waited she wouldn’t regret it.  She was so glad she had waited.  It had been so much fun to watch Shun fumble and stutter through his excitement.

 

            There were days when Shun would travel to the past, most of the time he ended up with Sora again.  She would smile up at him like she had been waiting for him for a lifetime.

            It was fun to see her.  He felt less like he had been cursed and more like he had been blessed when he was with her. 

            “Shun,” she began one day.  She had been fourteen and Shun had noticed that she was losing some of the roundness to her face.  She looked less like a baby and more like the girl he had held hands with in the back of the bakery during his break.

            “What is it?” Shun asked. 

            They were sitting up in her bedroom.  He sat in her desk chair and she sat on her bed.

            “I went to visit my father,” she confessed, “I wish I didn’t bother.  It was horrible,”

            “What happened?”

          “He… he doesn’t _want_ me.  He couldn’t remember me, Shun.  I’m his daughter but he doesn’t recognize me,”

            “He hasn’t seen you since you were little.  Anyone would have trouble recognizing you,” Shun suggested.

            Sora shook her head, “He has another family.  A new wife and a new daughter.  I’m just a ghost from his past,”

            “You don’t need him, Sora,”

            “I don’t need him but I want him to want me.  I want him to love me,”

            Shun couldn’t help but be reminded of his grandfather.  He felt the same way that Sora did.  All he wanted was for his grandfather to look at him the way he looked at Ruri or Yuzu.

            “He doesn’t realize what he’s missing,” Shun smiled, “I feel sorry for him.  He’s losing out on someone really wonderful,”

            “I never want to have children,” Sora muttered to herself, “I don’t want to be like my parents,”

            Shun tried not to sigh in relief.  He couldn’t bear the thought of having children.  He didn’t want to curse his son to be like him.  Now he wouldn’t have to worry about it.  Sora didn’t want children and neither did he.


	6. Sparrow

Everything seemed to happen so fast.  Shun felt like only a year had passed since he had met Sora that night in the bakery but it had been almost five years.  They had moved in together and now they were getting married.

            Sora smiled slyly as they signed the register.  She playfully jabbed Shun in the ribs as she reminded him of his promise to marry her when she was little. 

            “Shun, let’s have a baby,” Sora suggested that night as they got ready for bed.

            Shun tried to hide his surprise, “You said that you never wanted to have children,” he reminded.

            “That was before I saw how good you are with your sisters.  You’d make a great father and I want to have a baby with you,” Sora argued.

            “I don’t think it’s a good idea to have children,”

            “Why not?  You love children,” Sora continued.

            “I love children but I don’t want to have a child,” Shun said, standing his ground.

            “Shun.  I want to have a baby while I’m still young.  It will be easier if we start trying to get pregnant now,”

            “No.  I don’t agree to this,”

            “Why not, Shun?  What is so bad about having a baby together?  Don’t you want to have a little half you – half me running around?  Don’t you want the pitter patter of baby feet against the floor and wet baby kisses in the morning before you leave for work?”

            “I don’t want a son like me,” Shun shot, “I won’t do it, Sora.  You can beg as much as you want but I won’t even risk cursing another human being with my time travel genes.  I won’t do that to my child,”

            Sora’s eyes filled with tears.  She couldn’t argue with Shun.  He always knew the right words to say to tip the odds in his favor.  No matter what she said, he would always be too stubborn to listen.

            “Sora,” Shun tried to amend.  He felt tremendously guilty for making her cry, “Maybe we can adopt instead.  I don’t mind adopting a child,”

            “I want _your_ baby,” Sora cried, “I want a baby that looks like you and sounds like you.  I want a baby with your eyes and your smile,” Sora shook her head as the tears began to stream down her cheeks.

            She turned to leave.  Shun watched helplessly as she walked down the hall without another word.  Why did he have to be so harsh?  He didn’t mean to hurt her but his words had spilled out faster than he could catch them.  Why couldn’t she understand how he felt?

            When they went to bed that night, neither of them said anything.  They couldn’t even face each other.  This was the first time they had ever really fought.  Most of their arguments were settled pretty quickly.  It had never been like this before.

            Should he apologize?  He didn’t know where to begin or what to say to make it better.  He didn’t want the baby that Sora wanted.  No, that wasn’t it.  He wanted a baby with Sora but he was too afraid of what would happen if his child became a time traveler.

            He got up from the bed.  He could feel a migraine forming in his temples.  Another jump to the past.  On tonight of all nights too.  Even if he knew what to say to Sora, it would have to wait at least another hour.

            Shun closed his eyes and when he opened them again, he was in Sora’s backyard.  He could see her playing with a doll.

            “Shun,” she smiled brightly.  She took his hand in hers and led him down the path into her mother’s garden, “I missed you.  Did you miss me?”

            “Yes,” Shun smiled.

            Sora looked so cute.  Her face was so round and her eyes were so bright.  Shun felt a twinge in his heart when he looked down at her.

            He did want a baby with Sora.  He wanted a baby that looked just like her.  Looking at Sora now, with her pigtails and her little hands, Shun could picture it.

            He could see himself with a baby in his arms.  He could picture bright, green eyes looking up into his and a little hand tight around his fingers.  He could imagine Sora with a beautiful baby just like her.

            “Shun, why are you crying?” Sora asked as she squeezed his hand.

            “I have to make a very hard decision,” Shun explained quietly.  His voice sounded even gruffer than usual, “I’m afraid that I’ll make the wrong choice,”

            Sora beckoned Shun to kneel for her.  She wiped his tears away with her tiny fingers, “Is it a really hard decision?”

            “It’s really, _really_ hard,”

            Sora smiled brightly, “You’re really smart, Shun.  You’re the smartest boy I know.  You can make the right decision,”

            Shun smiled at the compliment, “I’m the only boy you know,”

            “That’s why you’re the smartest,”

            Sora was adorable.  There was nothing about her that Shun couldn’t love.  If he had a child that was even half as wonderful as she was then maybe it wouldn’t it be so bad to have a child with her.

 

            Shun opened his eyes to his hallway.  He was back in the present.  His first thought was of Sora.  He needed to find her.

            She was in the kitchen, a mug of hot chocolate in her hands.  She didn’t look up as Shun entered the room.

            “You left,” she stated, “I wasn’t sure where you went and I got worried,” Her eyes were rimmed with red.  She looked like she had been crying.

            Shun wanted to walk over to her, to close the frustrating space between them.  He wanted to pull her into his arms and apologize for hurting her.

            “We don’t have to have a baby, Shun.  What we have is enough.  I just thought…” Sora trailed off, “I thought that having a baby would make you happy.  Your eyes glow when you look at Ruri’s baby and I thought that maybe I would like to have a baby too,”

            “Let’s try, then,” Shun suggested.  His voice was barely above a whisper, “We’ll try just once.  If you get pregnant, then we’ll have a baby.  If you don’t, we can adopt,”

            Sora looked up at him.  Her eyes looked even wider than usual, “Really?  You want to try?”

            “Just once,” Shun confirmed, “We’ll try just once,”

            Sora smiled.  Shun could detect a hint of smugness to her smile.  She was so confident that one try would be enough.  Shun began to wonder if she had planned this entire thing the whole time.  He wouldn’t put such a thing past her.  She may have called him smart once but she could always outsmart him.

 

***

 

            Shun was covered in flour, it was one of the downsides to working in a bakery. His hands were covered in the dusty, white powder.  Sometimes he wondered how he managed to avoid tracking any of it home with him.

            “Shun,” Sora smiled as she made an appearance in the kitchen.

            Shun smiled at his new wife. He gave her a quick kiss on her cheek.

            “I wanted to show you something,” Sora smirked proudly, “Give me your hands,”

            “I’m covered in flour,” Shun protested as Sora took both his wrists.

            Sora placed both of Shun’s palms over her stomach. She held them there, pressing them into the thin fabric of her shirt. Shun didn’t understand, he couldn’t catch up.

            “Oh!” Yuuya exclaimed excitedly from his side of the kitchen, “No way! Congratulations you two!”

            Congratulations? For what? Shun had trouble understanding.

            “Don’t you feel that?” Sora asked, her patience was wearing thin.

            Shun pressed his hands into Sora’s stomach. What was he supposed to feel?  Was he supposed to be looking for something? 

            Then in hit him.

            “Really?” he asked, “You’re really pregnant?”

            Sora nodded, “I just came back from the hospital. The doctor said that everything looks good. The baby should be born in November,”

            Shun felt a wave of worry run over him. To be honest, he felt excited to be a father but at the same time, he felt horrified. There were so many things to worry about and so many risks that they were taking.

            “Sora,” Yuuya smiled as he hugged her tightly, “I’m going to be an uncle! Can I throw the baby shower? Please, Shun refused to let me throw him a bachelor party.  It was going to be so much fun, too.  We were supposed to go out for karaoke,”

            “Of course you can throw my baby shower,” Sora smiled triumphantly.

            “Technically you’re not officially the baby’s uncle until you marry Yuzu,” Yuuto called from the other side of the kitchen.

            “We’re already engaged,” Yuuya reminded.

            “It still doesn’t count,” Sora teased.

            “Besides, you’re already an uncle.  Have you forgotten about my son or Rin and Yuugo’s daughter?” Yuuto continued. 

            “That’s nice. All of our children can grow up together. Won’t that be nice, Shun?” Sora asked.

            Shun could barely manage a nod. He kept his hands in the pocket of his apron to hide the fact that he was shaking. Please don’t let the baby be a boy. Please, please, please give him a daughter instead.

 

***

 

            When Sora was five months pregnant, Shun got a call from Ruri at three in the morning.  She was sobbing into the phone as she explained that their grandfather had just passed away.

            Shun felt numb during the whole funeral.  He regretted so much.  He should have been there when his grandfather had breathed his last breath.  He should have apologized for being so headstrong.  He should have done more.

            He missed the chance to ask his grandfather for advice.  The baby would be here soon and he needed to prepare.  He needed to know what to do if his child became a time traveler.  Now he had no one to go to for advice.

            Why was he so stupid?

            “Shun,” his stepfather, Shuuzou, tapped him on the shoulder, “Your grandfather asked me to give you this,”

            Shuuzou handed him an old leather-bound journal.  It felt heavy in Shun’s hand and it smelled heavily of tobacco.  He ran his fingers over the worn leather.  This journal must be at least as old as his grandfather was.

            “He said that it was important that I gave it to you.  He said that you have to read it,” Shuuzou explained.

            “Did he say why it was important?” Shun asked as he flipped through several pages.

            Shuuzou shook his head, “He just told me that it was important that you read it,”

            Shun was curious to read what was inside.  What could be written inside its pages?  He leafed through the pages, peaking through the journal for anything that could catch his eye. 

            “Your mother is having a hard time right now.  I was thinking maybe you and your sisters could stay with us for a while so the house won’t feel so empty,”

“Sure,” Shun promised.

 

***

 

            Shun held his breath as he waited for the doctor to announce the news he had been waiting months for.

            Please don’t be a boy. Please don’t be a son. He wanted this curse to end with him. Let the baby be a girl.

            “Congratulations!” the doctor exclaimed as he gently placed the baby into Sora’s eagerly awaiting arms.

            Please don’t be a boy.

            “A beautiful baby,” the doctor smiled, “Do you have a name for her?”

            Her? So she was a daughter. Shun sighed in relief. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

            “Suzume,” Shun smiled, “Let’s name her Suzume,”

            “Suzume?” Sora smiled, “That’s pretty.  Wasn’t that your grandmother’s name?”

            Shun nodded.  Suzume meant sparrow.  Shun would like to continue the tradition of bird names in the family.

            “It’s perfect.  Suzume Kurosaki.  What a pretty name for a pretty baby,”

            Sora hummed to herself as she kissed the newborn baby.  Shun was so happy that he could sing.  He had a baby girl, free of the horrible curse that had plagued his family for generations.  Now time traveling would die off with him.

            “She has your eyes, Shun.  Oh, how pretty.  Your grandfather had the same eyes too,” Sora cooed.  Her voice sounded close to bliss as she snuggled Suzume, “I told you one try would be enough,”

            Shun had stopped listening when Sora had mentioned Suzume’s eye color.  Gold eyes ran in the family but from the stories Shun had heard; only the time travelers had golden eyes. 

            Shun felt his stomach twist into knots.  It was just a coincidence; that was all.  Suzume just had his eyes; a lot of children had their father’s eyes.  Yes, that was it.  That was all it was.


	7. Gift

Shun had never been happier in all his life.  He had Sora to wake up with every morning.  He got to watch Suzume grow older.  She looked more like her mother every day.  When Suzume was four, she looked exactly like her mother when Sora was the same age.

            Still, Shun always had fear at the back of his mind.  Suzume’s eyes, his eyes, smiled up at him every morning and every night.  Shun couldn’t shake the feeling that she would be just like him.  He thought only the males in his family could time travel.

            His fears were answered one day when he was working at the bakery.  He had been kneading a fresh batch of dough when Suzume walked in.

            At first, Shun felt confused.  He initially thought that Sora had walked in but when he saw Suzume’s eyes, his stomached dropped.

“Suzume?” he asked.  He put his head into his hands when she nodded.

            Why her?  Why did she have to be cursed to?  It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t right.

            “It’s okay, Papa.  You did a good job with me.  You and Momma taught me everything I needed to know.  I’m not scared or worried.  I know exactly what I’m doing,” Suzume explained as she hugged her father tightly.

            A good job?  How could he do a good job with his daughter when he himself was so much of a mess?

            “Don’t cry, Papa.  Everything will be okay.  You can trust me, after all I come from the future,”

            Shun could trust her.  He knew that.  Seeing her here with a smile on her face and stars in her eyes made him feel so much better.  She was happy and healthy, that was all that mattered to him as her father.

 

***

 

            Shun had never taken the time to look into the journal his grandfather had given him.  He had never had the time since Suzume had been born.  Now that she was a little older, he finally had a chance to look at it.

            He recognized the handwriting instantly.  He’s seen it written all over his grandparent’s house when he was little.  His grandfather’s handwriting was engraved into his brain so well that even his own handwriting resembled his grandfather’s.

            He read the journal but he quickly began to get bored.  It was like an old diary of the old man’s life.  Shun gave up on reading it halfway through.  He had to feed Suzume anyway.

            “Papa,” Suzume chirped from her seat at the table, “Do you have another headache?  Maybe you should lie down,”

            Suzume may have taken a lot after him and Sora but she took a lot after all her aunts too.  She could spot Shun’s migraines from a mile away.

            “You just stay here and eat, okay?” Shun patted Suzume’s head.  The child nodded, her pigtails bouncing.

            Shun followed his daughter’s advice and laid down in his bed.  His head was throbbing and he knew he was about to time travel.  He sighed as he closed his eyes.

 

            When Shun opened his eyes, he was in his grandfather’s house.  He hadn’t been here in years, not since his grandfather had passed away.

            “Grandfather?” he called as he walked through the house.

            He could hear his grandfather coughing, “There you are, boy.  What are you doing here?”

            For a moment, Shun just stared at his grandfather.  Shun hadn’t seen him in years.  Now when he looked at his grandfather, he could see some resemblance between them.  Sora had been right after all, he and his grandfather were so much alike.

            “Well?” his grandfather coughed, “What do you want?”

            “Can we just talk for once?  I’m tired of fighting with you,” Shun muttered.  He felt exasperated.  He didn’t want to fight anymore.  There was no point to it.  All they ever did was fight until his grandfather’s death.

            The old man laughed, “You want to talk?  Sure, let’s talk.  Grab a chair, sit down and listen to me for once,”

            Shun did as he was asked.

            “So… I take it by your tone that I’m dead by the time you’re thirty-three?” the old man smirked, “Ah… I’ll be reunited with your grandmother in no time,”

            “I’m married now,” Shun started.

            “With that girl you brought over?  The one you said you would marry?” the old man looked thoughtful, “She’s a wonderful girl, that one is.  She reminds me of your grandmother.  She looks so innocent and sweet but she can pack a mean punch if she wanted to,”

            Shun smiled, that sounded like Sora alright.

            “Those birds stopped singing after your grandmother died.   They loved her so much.  I’m not like her, they never liked me and they never sang for me,” the old man shook his head.

            “They never sang for me.  Not until I brought Sora home for the first time,” Shun reminisced at the memories.

            “Ha,” the old man laughed, “I miss their singing sometimes,”

            “I had a child with Sora.  A girl,” Shun said.  He took a deep breath, “She can time travel like us,”

            “Really?”

            “I thought only the men in our family could time travel,”

            “It’s a lot like colorblindness.  It’s more common in men but every now and then, you’ll find a girl that’s colorblind.  Some families have colorblindness, our family, we have time travel.  This thing you call a curse is a beautiful gift, Shun.  Do you know why we travel?”

            Shun shook his head.

            “We travel for the people that need us the most.  You said that you’ve visited Sora in the past.  You visited her because she needed you.  You broke all these so called ‘laws of time and space’ for her, so you could take care of her when she needed you.  You have a wonderful gift Shun; you get to be there for your loved ones whenever they need you the most.  Time travelling isn’t a curse, my boy.  Time travel gives you the chance to make the most out of your life,”

            Shun had never thought about it that way.  He had always seen time travel for its flaws.  If he had never time traveled, he had no idea what he would be doing now.  Would he still be married to Sora?  Would he still have Suzume?

            “We get to visit the people that aren’t here with us anymore.  You’ve seen your father, your grandmother and now me.  You get a chance to see them again and be with them again.  When you’re a time traveler, there is no goodbye,” the old man explained, “I get to see your grandmother still, even though she’s gone now,”

            Shun thought about his father.  He had died when Shun was too young.  Time travelling had given him that chance to see his father again and spend time with him.  He would have never had that chance otherwise.

            “I’m sorry I’m harsh on you, Shun.  I was a lot like you when I was young.  When I look at you, I see my mistakes and it makes me angry.  Let me give you some advice, Shun.  Appreciate what you have.  Whether or not it’s a gift or a curse, who knows?  Just appreciate what you have,”

            “What do I do now?” Shun asked.  He could feel panic rising up in his throat, threatening to choke him, “How do I teach Suzume about time travel?  I don’t even know what I’m doing,”

            Shun’s grandfather held up a hand to stop Shun from continuing, “It’s all in my journal.  I assume you already have it but that you haven’t read it.  Everything you need to know is in there.  I wrote it all down for you, Shun.  I don’t act like it, but I love you very much.  I’m glad that you still visit me, even though you must hate me.  I guess I need you and that’s why you came, otherwise you’d never visit. Ha,” the old man laughed, “I just wish I could have met your daughter,”

            “Her name is Suzume,”

            “You named her after your grandmother?”

            Shun nodded and the old man laughed again, brighter this time.

            “Before I go, I wanted to ask you something.  You do you call our gift ‘crossover’?” Shun asked.  His fingers felt numb and he knew he would leave soon.

            “Because time travelling is a lot like walking over a bridge.   Instead of crossing over rivers; you cross over time and space,” the old man laughed, “That’s what your grandmother said, not me,”

            The last thing Shun heard before he opened his eyes again was his grandfather’s laughter.  When Shun opened his eyes, he was home again.  He immediately found and read his grandfather’s journal from beginning to end. 

            As Shun read the journal, he began to understand more.  He learnt the cure for his migraines and how to reduce his sped up heart rate.  He read about the times he would visit his grandfather again and about the times his grandfather had visited him.

            At the end of the journal, there were still empty pages.  Shun took out a pen and began to write about his journeys.  He wrote about Sora and all the times he had visited her.  When Suzume grew older, she could read about her parents and learn everything she needed to know all from this journal.

            When he was done writing in the journal he went out to find Sora.  He kissed her until she was breathless.

            “Wow, you’re in such a good mood,” she murmured as she kissed him again.

            “I’m happy, Sora,” Shun smiled, “Let’s have another baby,”

            “Another?  I thought you were terrified of having a son like you,” Sora reminded. 

            Shun shrugged his shoulders as he began to unbutton Sora’s shirt, “I’m not afraid anymore.  I’m going to live life the way I want to.  With you, Suzume and maybe a few more children,”

            Sora laughed, “Of all people, I had to marry the time traveler,”

            “At least I’m not a poet,” Shun teased as he kissed Sora again.


End file.
